State launches maternal and infant health R&D seed grant program

By: Matthew Fazelpoor
May 16, 2022 4:44 pm

The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority announced plans May 16 to enter into an agreement that will lead to the establishment of a $750,000 Maternal and Infant Health Research and Development Seed Grant Program.

As part of the agreement, CSIT will award 10 grants of $75,000 each to help New Jersey-based early-stage, innovation-based companies accelerate the development of technologies, products and services that support pregnant women from pre-natal, through birth and post-partum, and into infancy.

First Lady Tammy Murphy launches Nurture NJ, a maternal and infant health awareness campaign, on Jan. 23, 2019 at Cooper University Hospital in Camden. – EDWIN J. TORRES/GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

“Mothers, those who are pregnant, and families are at the heart of the Nurture NJ Strategic Plan, which aims to make New Jersey the safest and most equitable place in the nation to give birth and raise a baby,” said New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy, who launched the initiative in 2019. “Investing in research and new technologies strengthens our families by ensuring the health and safety of mothers and their babies. I’m thrilled the Maternal and Infant Health R&D Seed Grant Program will advance our work to end racial disparities by funding New Jersey companies committed to supporting maternal and infant health through innovation.”

The NJEDA will dedicate $250,000 from the Economic Recovery Fund toward this program, while CSIT will provide the remaining funding from its current budget. Both boards approved the agreement during their monthly meetings.

“The Maternal and Infant Health R&D Seed Grant Program joins a suite of CSIT, R&D Seed Grant programs designed to advance New Jersey’s innovation economy,” said CSIT Executive Director Judith Sheft. “By supporting early-stage innovation companies, the NJEDA and CSIT will help transform new discoveries from the research state into commercially-viable products and services that enhance the quality of care for women and infants.”

“Today’s announcement of $750,000 for CSIT’s Maternal and Infant Health R&D Seed Grant Program serves as a testament to New Jersey’s commitment to ending racial disparities and adverse health outcomes for New Jersey mothers and their children,” said CSIT Vice Chair Debbie Hart. “This funding will support research in an underinvested area of research while aiding in the development and discovery of new technologies designed to support pregnant people to reduce future rates of maternal and infant mortality.”

“Providing seed funding to early-stage New Jersey-based companies dedicated to advancing maternal and pediatric health outcomes will not only contribute to our state’s growing innovation economy, but will produce long-lasting economic returns through advancements in research and increased health outcomes for mothers and infants,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “The Maternal and Infant Health R&D Seed Grant Program joins a suite of innovative products that leverages investment to drive real, meaningful, change within one of our state’s most vulnerable populations.”

Next month, CSIT will host an information session about the new grant program. Details will be available on the CSIT website www.njeda.com/csit.

Applications for the program open July 1, 2022.